Durham Cricket will once again celebrate Pride in Cricket during the Clubs’ T20 Vitality Blast fixture with Leicestershire Foxes on Wednesday 12 June at Seat Unique Riverside.
With Durham Pride taking place at the end of May and LGBTQ+ Pride Month being celebrated throughout June; the Club will once again raise awareness of LGBTQ+ community during Durham’s second T20 match.
Durham players will once again don the rainbow armband to promote inclusivity of the LGBTQ+ community in sport and in everyday life, which will once again mark the first event the club are staging across their home Blast matches in the 2024 season in support of local charities.
Speaking after Durham’s Pride event in 2023, T20 white ball captain Alex Lees said: “It’s great for us to be connected with Durham Pride, it’s about showing our support for the LGBTQ+ community in County Durham and for inclusivity to highlight that cricket is a game for everyone.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re participating or watching there always needs to be a safe environment for everyone to enjoy the game. Here at Durham that’s what we want the message to be.
“In society we probably have fallen short over the last 20 years in a lot of areas. I think this event will hopefully educate people to see the world through a different lens, and accepting that some people are different and embracing that difference. Everyone has the right to feel how they want to feel. We’re very supportive of that.
“Durham have been very proactive in our support. We want to be a central part of the community and use cricket as a voice in a positive way for a variety of important matters. Everyone who plays has a responsibility to carry the message, we’re the custodians of the game to ensure that everyone feels included.”
Chair of Durham Pride, Mel Metcalf, added: “We’re hopeful that more clubs that will embrace this in the future in the north east and elsewhere.” Metcalfe said.
“This is a really good example for those clubs to show that they can be a part of Pride too. We’re delighted to have seen the players wear the rainbow armbands because a lot of young people look up to these players. If they’re sending the right message, we’re confident that people will learn from their example.
“There are barriers in every community and there are even barriers within the LGBTQ+ community because we might think that sport is not inclusive sometimes. People in the LGBTQ+ community may have thought in the past that a cricket club was not a safe space, but they’re wrong. The message we had on Monday was that Durham Cricket Club are accepting and supportive of everyone.
“It’s a massive start for us and we’re thrilled that we were allowed to be here to promote this cause. I think this could be the start of something special.”
Tickets for Durham’s Pride game can be purchased now from the Durham Cricket website, get yours now to secure tickets at early bird prices.